We planned a thoughtful redesign of this beautiful home while retaining many of the existing features. We wanted this house to feel the immediacy of its environment. So we carried the exterior front entry style into the interiors, too, as a way to bring the beautiful outdoors in. In addition, we added patios to all the bedrooms to make them feel much bigger. Luckily for us, our temperate California climate makes it possible for the patios to be used consistently throughout the year. The original kitchen design did not have exposed beams, but we decided to replicate the motif of the 30" living room beams in the kitchen as well, making it one of our favorite details of the house. To make the kitchen more functional, we added a second island allowing us to separate kitchen tasks. The sink island works as a food prep area, and the bar island is for mail, crafts, and quick snacks. We designed the primary bedroom as a relaxation sanctuary – something we highly recommend to all parents. It features some of our favorite things: a cognac leather reading chair next to a fireplace, Scottish plaid fabrics, a vegetable dye rug, art from our favorite cities, and goofy portraits of the kids. --- Project designed by Courtney Thomas Design in La Cañada. Serving Pasadena, Glendale, Monrovia, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, and Altadena. For more about Courtney Thomas Design, see here: https://www.courtneythomasdesign.com/ To learn more about this project, see here: https://www.courtneythomasdesign.com/portfolio/functional-ranch-house-design/

Example of a small trendy galley dark wood floor enclosed kitchen design in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, quartz countertops, gray backsplash, glass tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and no island

Example of a tuscan kitchen design in Orange County

Cape style entry and stair. Renovation, deep energy retrofit. Photo credit John Hession.
Elegant light wood floor entryway photo in Boston with beige walls and a medium wood front door

Relocating from their home in Brisbane, Australia with ocean views to the Pacific, our clients envisioned a refresh for their new lakefront cottage on Pine Lake in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Completed in July 2024, we created new spaces, reimagined old ones, and even swapped places for a primary bedroom and its en suite bath. Our goal was to create a serene and soothing spa- like experience for the bathroom, all while maintaining gorgeous lake views. But this reconfiguration presented some challenges. The primary bedroom was oversized, while its adjacent bath was tiny and crowded. We completely flipped the locations of the bedroom and bathroom, even rerouting plumbing over the bar in the lower level to accommodate the freestanding tub. To maximize space, we designed large, walk-in dressing pantries that are as functional as they are beautiful, and lead to the large dual custom vanity. The vanity itself is freestanding to provide access for hand towel bath hardware on its sides. The his-and-hers unit contains built-in dividers, laundry hampers and trash pullouts to maximize its function. An enclosed water closet allows for privacy in the open concept bathroom, and is placed beyond the cabinetry. The star of this space is the large enclosed wet room. As the focal point of the bathroom, its oversized tiled walls and deep built-in bench allow for a steam or soaking in the tub while enjoying stunning lake views. The wet room is spacious and serene, and perfect for an end to a Michigan winter day.

Photo by: Peter Molick Photography
Inspiration for a contemporary formal living room remodel in Houston with a standard fireplace

Espresso custom made cabinets and wall mirrors with open bases and upper shelving along with oddles of drawers gives this space a much needed lift. Chrome cup style cabinet pulls set off the deep espresso color. The white vessel sinks adorn the white quartz counter-tops for a true contemporary look. Using regular frame-less mirrored wardrobe doors we created drama with a frosted technique to give them some pizzazz. Gray toned wood plank porcelain tile brings a warmth to this space.

This Black and White Marble tiled hallway floor at a Grade II listed property in the village of Tattenhall has quite a history. The building was constructed in 1865 and at one time it has been the home to the high sheriff of Cheshire, and the family home of Edith Wignall the daughter of Sir Henry Tate the founder of the sugar company Tate and Lyle. In more recent years the property had been used as a council building and even a nursing home for the elderly. After a long history of decline it has now been restored to a lavish family mansion however the marble floor had suffered over the years and still need attention. The current owner had been in touch as they wanted it restoring and basically brought back to life. As it turns out I had already planned to go to Tattenhall the following week to work on another listed building which was formerly the village bank. After discussing the Marble floor over the phone, I agreed a date and time to pop over from the bank and inspect the floor in detail. I can provide a rough quote from photographs, which has been especially useful recently, but it’s far better for all concerned if I’m able to properly survey the floor first. The Marble floor consisted of Black and White Mable tiles laid in a diamond pattern, it wasn’t a very large area perhaps 9 square metres in total. The tiles were well worn as described but also stained and scratched. I would see they would need a deep burnish and polish to bring them back to life and then protected with a fresh sealer. Following on from that visit I was able to provide an accurate quote which was accepted, and a date agreed for my return. The first job was to protect the surrounding heavy wooden panelling with masking film. The floor was very heavily stained yellow with deep scratches, to remove these I would have to grind the marble back until a clean fresh tile was left. To start I used a 200-grit coarse pad fitted to a weighted buffing machine, the abrasive action of the pad was lubricated with water. After inspection I found that the staining and scratches were still there, so I needed to use stronger pads, so I worked my way through a set of very coarse milling pads starting at a 50, 100 and finishing with a 200-grit pad. Again, water was used to lubricate, and the resultant slurry was removed by a powerful wet vacuum and washed down between each pad. The milling pads had the desired effect, and I was then able to bring back the polished appearance of the Marble surface using a set of finer burnishing pads with the same process. The 400 and 800-grit pads helped to clean and remove the fine scratches left by the milling pads and then the next 1500-grit pad started to build the shine back on the marble tile. After finishing with 1500-grit pad I washed the Marble with Tile Doctor Stone Soap and vacuumed up the residue with the wet vacuum. I left an industrial blower in place overnight to dry out the floor ready for the next morning when it would be sealed. The next morning, I used the last of the four burnishing pads which is a very fine 3000-grit to polish the floor further. This last pad is applied dry with just a spray of water to create a high gloss finish. When I was happy, I sealed the floor with two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that soaks into the fine pores of the Marble to protect it from within. This product also improves colour and after application it was left to soak into the tile for five minutes before polishing off and then leaving it to dry. The last step was to I buff the floor with a white pad. The finish was impressive, and the family were very happy with the work we had carried out. For aftercare I recommended they use Stone Soap as its designed for the regular cleaning of sealed and polished stone, as well as cleaning it also helps build the patina. Alastair Robb West Cheshire TIle Doctor

Monorail Wall kit includes everything you need for a complete system - just add fixtures. Kit includes remote mount magnetic 300 watt 12 volt transformer, 3 inch rectangular power canopy, 8 foot Monorail Wall, two 1 inch standoffs and 2 pairs of end caps. Finish satin nickel. Also available in polished nickel or antique bronze. Spirit Fast Jack fixture head with S5 big solid shade features a cool to touch frosted polycarbonate handle, rotates 360 degrees and tilts 250 degrees. Available in 3, 6, or 12 inch stem lengths. Mounts to a Monorail connector, Monorail 2 Circuit connector, or Fast Jack power canopy, sold separately. Finish available in satin nickel, polished nickel, or bronze. Accessory finish available in satin nickel, polished nickel, or antique bronze. One 50 Watt, 12 Volt, MR16 GU5.3 lamp or LED MR16-12VAC not included. ETL listed TruLine .5 2.5W 24VDC Plaster-In LED System creates a clean line of glare free general illumination within drywall. The linear LED system features a shallow .5 inch deep plaster in aluminum extrusion no thicker than drywall and houses one 2.5 watt row of commercial grade white LED Soft Strip. The .5 inch wide diffuser lens projects a clean line of light without LED dots. System mounts directly to studs without joist modification. TruLine is sold in 1 foot increments up to 40 feet at 2.5 watts per foot, 95+ CRI, in 2700K Very Warm White or 3000K Warm White color temperature, delivering 116 lumens per foot. 50,000 hour average lamp life. TruLine extrusion may be field cut. LED Soft Strip may be cut every 2.4 inches. System includes TruLine .5 channels, end caps, LED Soft Strip, TL.5 special junction box and all mounting hardware. Power supply options include a Class 2 24 volt 96 or 192 watt dimmable with a Lightolier Sunrise SR1200ZTUNV; Leviton IP710-DL; Lutron Radio Ra2 with Grafik Eye, RRD-10ND and GRX-TVI; Grafik Eye QS with Grafik Eye, QSGRJ-XP and GRX-TVI; Diva with Grafik Eye, DVTV and PP20; Nova T with Grafik Eye, NTFTV-WH and PP20, sold separately. Fixture includes a 5 year warranty. Made in USA. TruLine .5 2.5W 24VDC Plaster-In LED System creates a clean line of glare free general illumination within drywall. The linear LED system features a shallow .5 inch deep plaster in aluminum extrusion no thicker than drywall and houses one 2.5 watt row of commercial grade white LED Soft Strip. The .5 inch wide diffuser lens projects a clean line of light without LED dots. System mounts directly to studs without joist modification. TruLine is sold in 1 foot increments up to 40 feet at 2.5 watts per foot, 95+ CRI, in 2700K Very Warm White or 3000K Warm White color temperature, delivering 116 lumens per foot. 50,000 hour average lamp life. TruLine extrusion may be field cut. LED Soft Strip may be cut every 2.4 inches. System includes TruLine .5 channels, end caps, LED Soft Strip, TL.5 special junction box and all mounting hardware. Power supply options include a Class 2 24 volt 96 or 192 watt dimmable with a Lightolier Sunrise SR1200ZTUNV; Leviton IP710-DL; Lutron Radio Ra2 with Grafik Eye, RRD-10ND and GRX-TVI; Grafik Eye QS with Grafik Eye, QSGRJ-XP and GRX-TVI; Diva with Grafik Eye, DVTV and PP20; Nova T with Grafik Eye, NTFTV-WH and PP20, sold separately. Fixture includes a 5 year warranty. Made in USA.

"Gale Force" blue painted cabinets and grey "Morel" stained Hickory cabinets. The elegant "Morel" stain emphasizes the natural Hickory wood grain with a subtle gray tone that beautifully coordinates with the cool, deep blue paint.

Aaron Leitz
Inspiration for a contemporary single-wall ceramic tile open concept kitchen remodel in Seattle with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Two Weathered Antique Box Beams in silvered gray brown tones with deep checking and naturally aged surface texture cross the ceiling of this transitional wine room and dining space, providing subtle material warmth against the white walls, white cabinetry, and black steel wine storage. The cool aged tone of the reclaimed wood adds just enough character to ground the space without disrupting the clean, refined palette. This install shows how Weathered Antique Box Beams work equally well as a quiet accent in a sophisticated transitional interior as they do in a more rustic setting. At Manomin Resawn Timbers, every piece goes through a detailed process of denailing, kiln drying, and precision milling so that antique character is preserved while performing beautifully in a modern home. Whether you are a homebuilder, a home remodeling contractor, or a homeowner looking to add a reclaimed wood accent to a dining room, wine room, or transitional interior, Manomin Resawn Timbers has been helping people discover the antique charm of reclaimed wood since 2002. We serve homebuilders, contractors, and designers across the country. Visit our showroom in Hugo, MN or reach out to us with a call or a message to get started.

Example of a mid-sized trendy white tile and porcelain tile gray floor and porcelain tile bathroom design in Vancouver with medium tone wood cabinets, a one-piece toilet, white walls, a vessel sink, quartz countertops and a hinged shower door

Clean, separated, functional, classic and modern. That was our goal for this Northwest Austin Bathroom. Our client was looking for that "spa" feel and we carefully selected every aspect to deliver a project worthy of a deep exhale! Our challenge was to convert an open bathroom directly connected to the bedroom, into a separate functional yet classic oasis. To create this ultra-glam space, we started with recycled iridescent glass accent tiles as the center-piece and large metallic porcelain floor tiles with harmonizing hues all around. To create visual interest and added flair, the glam accent tiles were vertically installed behind the vanity and continue into the shower. Plenty of cabinets with clean modern lines were added for storage and organization. High efficiency lighting, clean modern handles and hardware complete the transformation. This Austin bathroom was approximately three months in the making. Bee Creek Photography

Espresso custom made cabinets and wall mirrors with open bases and upper shelving along with oddles of drawers gives this space a much needed lift. Chrome cup style cabinet pulls set off the deep espresso color. The white vessel sinks adorn the white quartz counter-tops for a true contemporary look. Using regular frame-less mirrored wardrobe doors we created drama with a frosted technique to give them some pizzazz. Gray toned wood plank porcelain tile brings a warmth to this space.

Inspiration for a coastal living room remodel in New York

Example of a kitchen design in Minneapolis

Embracing an authentic Craftsman-styled kitchen was one of the primary objectives for these New Jersey clients. They envisioned bending traditional hand-craftsmanship and modern amenities into a chef inspired kitchen. The woodwork in adjacent rooms help to facilitate a vision for this space to create a free-flowing open concept for family and friends to enjoy. This kitchen takes inspiration from nature and its color palette is dominated by neutral and earth tones. Traditionally characterized with strong deep colors, the simplistic cherry cabinetry allows for straight, clean lines throughout the space. A green subway tile backsplash and granite countertops help to tie in additional earth tones and allow for the natural wood to be prominently displayed. The rugged character of the perimeter is seamlessly tied into the center island. Featuring chef inspired appliances, the island incorporates a cherry butchers block to provide additional prep space and seating for family and friends. The free-standing stainless-steel hood helps to transform this Craftsman-style kitchen into a 21st century treasure.

David Marquardt
Example of a large trendy l-shaped ceramic tile open concept kitchen design in Las Vegas with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, solid surface countertops, gray backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island